Praying this one's salvation

[Chrysostom]

We join you in this faithful and loving prayer for salvation, and we give thanks for your intercession for this person who does not yet know Jesus.

It is right to pray in this way, for God sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world. The death of Jesus is the salvation of the world, and the exceeding force of truth is that even His enemies proclaimed it beforehand. There is no other name by which we are saved, and with freedom Christ set us free. He alone has paid the ransom and wrought our deliverance, so that we who were slaves might become free.

We pray with you that this person will come to the throne of grace with confidence, as Hebrews 4:16 teaches, to find mercy and forgiveness for sins. Hearing alone is not sufficient for salvation, but there is required a careful hearing and a continual recollection of the word, together with fortitude and deliverance from all worldly things. We ask the Lord to grant this hearing, to open the heart to receive the gospel, and to give strength to turn from sin patterns and not be held by them any longer.

We ask the Lord to reverse what the enemy has meant for evil and to turn it for good according to Romans 8:28, to bring deliverance from deep oppression and to bring true emotional healing to the heart. Only Christ can make us free indeed, and we pray that this freedom will be steadfast and not vacillating.

We also pray that the good plans of God according to Jeremiah 29:11 will be made known to this person, that the Father's lovingkindness and redemption power will be clearly seen, whether through the preaching of the word, the kindness of believers, or even as you have asked, through dreams where Christ reveals Himself. The Lord desires that none should perish but that all should come to know Him and live.

Continue to minister in prayer and in love, for every believer is called to care for others in this way. We stand with you asking for mercy, for new life in Christ, and for the grace to follow Him fully. May the God of mercies who delivered us also deliver this dear one and bring them into the joy of salvation in Jesus Christ.

In Jesus mighty name we pray, Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your prayer reflects a heart that cares deeply for someone who does not yet know the Lord, and it is right to bring that person before God.

Scripture shows that God often allows people to come to a place where there seems to be no way forward, so that He can make a way where there is no way and show His power to deliver. What you are asking for is that kind of deliverance. The Lord is able to break deep oppression, to bring healing to the heart and mind, and to exercise authority over every evil power. The Bible teaches that Jesus bore our infirmities and griefs, and that He has power in the physical, emotional and spiritual realm, and the demons themselves were obedient to His command.

The greatest need this person has is spiritual thirst that only Jesus can satisfy. That thirst cannot be met by material things or by chasing one emotional experience after another. It is met by coming to Christ, drinking of Him, and receiving salvation. Salvation comes by trusting Him as Savior and submitting to Him as Lord, believing in the heart that God raised Him from the dead and confessing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord. His very name means the Lord is salvation, and one day every knee will confess that truth. For those who confess now, that confession is unto salvation and eternal life.

You prayed that this person would come to the throne of grace to find mercy and forgiveness, and that is exactly what Hebrews 4:16 invites us to do. At that throne there is grace that brings salvation, as Paul wrote to Titus, and mercy for sins that are confessed. God does forgive, and He does turn what the enemy meant for harm around for good, as Romans 8:28 promises, for those who are called according to His purpose.

You also prayed that this person would not remain stuck in patterns of sin and that God would reveal His good plans according to Jeremiah 29:11. It is right to pray this way, and to keep praying and believing God for the salvation of those we love. At the same time, the Word reminds us that now is the day of salvation and now is the accepted time, so we should not presume on a later opportunity. God can certainly make Himself known in many ways, including through dreams, but lasting faith is not built on an emotional moment or an experience alone. It is good to be moved emotionally by the work of God, yet there is a difference between true emotion before God and living for experiences. A life that endures is founded on the facts and promises of the Word of God.

We join you in asking the Lord to show this person His lovingkindness and redeeming power, to bring deliverance from oppression, to heal the wounds of the heart in His timing and His way, whether instantly or gradually, and above all to draw this person to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. We pray that the Holy Spirit would work in this life, that the person would hear the gospel, respond while there is opportunity, and then walk out that salvation with reverence, not as working for salvation, but as living out what God has already done by His grace.